He explored the town above the sea, so steeped in it’s antiquity
Filmed it’s narrow winding streets and cursed the cobbles ‘neath his feet
where red roofs tumbled, leaned and lurched and whispered secrets to the church. Continue reading The Tourist
The age old links that bind three of the head Cinque Ports, Hythe, Romney and Hastings, the two Ancient Towns of Rye & Winchelsea and the corporate members Folkestone, Lydd and Tenterden are rooted in the Cinque Ports Confederation, Romney Marsh, Smuggling, Defence of the Realm and the Royal Military Canal. Continue reading A Time Tested Alliance
Kent and Sussex were hot beds of smuggling for centuries, and to judge by reports, still are. Originally, wool was smuggled out to France, rather than other goods coming in. The reason was that we produced high quality wool, but had not the means of processing it. The French and Dutch did. In 1622, it was made a hanging offence to smuggle out wool. The government then imported French and Dutch weavers and other trades to process the wool. That is why we have many large houses of Dutch style in our area. Many parishes have their Cloth Halls, The Weavers, and so on. Continue reading Smuggling
This area of Sussex is very rich in History especially smuggling, with many very well recorded episodes of this illicit trade. Usually it is the more notorious gangs such as the Hawkhurst Gang that people become familiar with. Continue reading My Smuggling Ancestors
Reproduced from “Gentle Breezes”
Kent and Sussex were hot beds of smuggling for centuries, and to judge by reports, still are. Originally, wool was smuggled out to France, rather than other goods coming in. The reason was that we produced high quality wool, but had not the means of processing it. The French and Dutch did. In 1622, it was made a hanging offence to smuggle out wool. The government then imported French and Dutch weavers and other trades to process the wool. That is why we have many large houses of Dutch style in our area. Many parishes have their Cloth Halls, The Weavers, and so on. Continue reading Smuggling
Rye – built on a sandstone rock rising out of the Romney Marsh, surely one of the most beautiful towns in Britain. A living example of the way things were. Continue reading The Town on the Hill
